Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-05-03


HIM II don't see how corner IN
horses could be fixed up in these parts.
IFS n first rate idea, that corner bust
ness. It's honest, too, according 70
James. James says every oody III
New York consideres 1t honest: linen
aloud. Sammy. what was it your
mother wanted?"
"Kerosene. / suppose Peleg's got
some. lie only gets a barrel at time;
out it amt likely he'd let himself gst
Ichabod had an idea. He pulled up
the mare to O. walk, and looked at the
sun and mountain ridge, and hereby
knew that it lacked twenty minutes
and more OF being noon; and he knew
also that as regularly as the
sun swung over that peak at mid
day. lust so regularly would
Peieg leave his store and go to his
house quarter mile down the road Tor
dinner. Then he stopped awhile, and
when the mare grew FESTIVE he let her
90. walking slowly. and so, stopping
and walking, when he came IN SIGHT
of the store he saw Peleg's hugh form
coming out and going towards his
house. Then he drove on, hitched
his horse under the store shed, threw
a blanket over her, went IN and found
George. the clerk in the store.
Got any kerosene, George
ayes, plenty"
GLOW much is plenty?" and he
walked around the counter with
George and into the backroom where
OILS and hams and like merchandise
we're kept. George wasnot brilliant
boy, but quite bright enough for an hon
est lot OF customers. Peleg would not
havesold out to any one hisentire stock
OF Il useful article. likely to be in daily
demand. But George did not look so
far ahead. There was about half
barrel of the fluid on hand, and Icha-
bod, aided by Sam, hurriedly helped
George draw it off, gallon by gallon,
and pour it in another barrel, paid
cash for it, got the barrel into the
cutter, and IN four minutes rolled the
barrel out into the snow mile from
the village toward the farm. Then
they turned the mare and i'll five min
utes more were at Peleg's door, shout
ing till Peleg came out.
Now, without knowing the two men,
and the ways OF up-country men in
general, you can hardly Appreciate the
manner in which Ichabod handled hon
est old Peleg, and brought about
the bargain then made. He began:
81 say, Peleg, if you pretend to keep
q store, you ought to keep what peo
pile want. Here I've got to drive fif-
teen miles this cold afternoon to the
nearest store there is to get some kerr
osene, jest because you ain got any"
81 haven't got any? I've got plenty.
How much do you want?" II want
four gallons, and George says there
isn't pint left in your store, and I'd
rather give $40 than go to Railtown,
with this rheumatic in my back. It's
time you knew how to keep store for a
country like this. You make money
enough TO accommodate people" and
he poured forth TRADE of abuse. Pc
leg, usually calm, became excited. He
declared over and over again that
there was plenty OF kerosene at the
store, and Ichabod denied it and re.
fused to go back with him.
w uP your AHOHey Oh IL IL you
dare" said Ichabod. "Tts worth
twenty dollars, making me go to Rail-
town such a day"
81 don't bet," said Peleg, "as you
know very well, Ichabod; but if you'll
go back to the store and l don't fur
nish you with four gallons of kerosene
I'll give you twenty dollars to hire
any one to 90 to Raitown and buy
all that'll buy" "Now, Peleg | don't
want talk. Here's your money, for
the four gallons. That's business.
Call out Sarah for a witness. (Sarah
Rowland was Peles's sister.) See
here, Sarah, Peleg has sold me four
gallons of kerosene and I've paid for
1t, ard it's to be delivered to me at
the store right off, and if Peleg don't
deliver 1T he's to give me twenty dol
lars, That's what he and | agree it's
worth to me to send to Railtown to-
day for it, like enough kill horse.
anyhow as damage to me; and Peler,
you out with your twenty dollars and
put 1t IN Sammy's hands here to car
ry till we get back to the store.
amt going to have no lawsuit about
1t. Business is business"
Peleg Rowland knew Ichabod Bailey
thoroughly, and ought to have sus-
pected something wrong. But he was
nettled at the slur on his store, which
had been his pride for forty , ears. He
put two ten-dolar bills into Sans
hands, pocketed Ichabod's pay Tor
the Huid, got his hat and coat and the
three drove to the store.
lchabod and Sam sat in the SLEIGH 4
while Peleg went in. There were a
dozen OF the neighbors, we'll filled with
Their dinners, who had dropped in for
the customary chat before the af .er-
noon work. They heard the CONVEX
sation OF Peleg and George, and slow
~, but with final clearness, one and
another came to understand the stu
ation. Hurry up with your kero-
sene, called lchabod from the out
side. Peleg stepped to the door, and
opening 1t, said quietly; II haven't
got any Kerosene, Ichabod." al told
you so, was the reply, as the mare
started forward, taking Ichabod and
oam and the twenty dollars. There
was howl and rush out to the
road. Let HIM alone" begged Peleg;
hes an old man. Don't hurt
nm. The air was full OF missiles.
Jumps OF frozen snow, only one Of
which reached the cutter, and struck
sammy on the back of the neck.
lchabod looked at the sun. Given
ty dollars in two hours. Corners
are business and no mistake; and
James saws IT, honest l,r.;,,.,-. - ),